Writing History to Executive Order

New York Times ^ | November 16, 2001 | Richard Reeves

[Judge Parker]

In America, and all the rest of the world, there is nothing wrong with a secretive, lying Government. I think we can all agree that Clinton needs all the help that he can get from Republicans. I feel certain that there is nothing the Republicans wish to hide from the American people - they're just protecting Clinton.

[Judge Parker]

And I thought Bush didn't care.

[lonestar]

...they're just protecting Clinton.

If that were true, Richard Reeves would be all for it!

[prognostigaator]

The war on diabolical creatures will continue once Bin Laden is caught, punished or eviserated .

Clinton is merely awaiting his turn.....

[freeeee]

The new American Way:

Secrecy in government, Surveillance for citizens

Yeah, those are the hallmarks of a free society.

It's things like this that make me glad I voted for Browne.

[Ferris]

Our masters do not want us sheeple to know what they have done in the past... As well as what they are doing now...

Sounds pretty socialist to me...

But wait, there's a REPUBLICAN in the White House... So it's okay then...

[Mr. Bird]

I'm sure Mr. Reeves rebuked Paul Begala for the "stroke of the pen, law of the land" quote, as well.

[Seajay]

I agree. That is what really urinates me off. If Klinton and his band of merry minions were pulling off this stuff, the howls on this site and on the talk shows would be strident and mighty. The hypocrisy(sp?) of alleged conservatives is tedious ...

[GeekDejure]

Three words come to mind here . . . New World Order !!!

[Criminal Number 18F]

Reeves doesn't speak of the acts of the Kennedy Library in apple-polishing the dead President's image. The Library has actually destroyed archival material that it was feared would reflect negatively on JFK or other, living and dead, Kennedys.

He does have a point, though. Once the presidency is over, it is history and all historians have a "need to know" information that does not compromise living persons or intelligence sources and methods.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[APBaer]

This sucks. When I became suspicious of the actions of a federal judge I was able to obtain the Presidential papers of the President who nominated him and found that he had been made a federal judge after a $350,000 contribution (bribe) by the man's partner.
This was very relevant to me because I was suing that man and the action was in front of the judge who had disclosed nothing.
Our "public servants" have earned their low repute and this action by Bush is what were have come to expect of them.
The highest praise I can give Bush is that at least he was better than Gore.

[Cobra64]

Well, if this were to be recinded, we'd get a better idea of the how Clinton murdered dozens of Americans, and sold US nuclear documents to the Chinese.

[LSJohn]

Must be a misunderstanding. GW would never do anything like this . . . . . . . . . would he?

Every time I start thinking that GW is a lot better than I thought he would be, something like this comes along to snap me back to reality.

[LSJohn]

Something to digest with your morning Pepto-Bismol.

[vmatt]

But the complicated rules have been changing in the direction of more access since the Freedom of Information Act became law on July 4, 1966.

Even under the FOIA it's very difficult to get information, so now one must assume it will in fact be impossible. So much for freedom of the press as a watchdog of government for the sheeple. Small comfort that the lapdog media will still prosper.

[mrsmith]

Notice: former Presidents, including all of the Founders who held that office, considered themselves to be the sole judges of what unofficial papers would be released and when.
The PRA is a violent and blatantly unconstitutional subversion of the presidency.
The only way to costitutionally change this long-standing practise begun by George Washington,is with a Constitutional amendment.
Which should be done, in my opinion.

From the NARA site:
"In the past, Presidents had tremendous power to dispose of their papers as they saw fit. Of the first 30 men to hold the Presidential office, only 13 made specific bequests of their papers. Presidents Van Buren, Garfield, Arthur, Grant, Pierce, and Coolidge are among those who destroyed significant numbers of their papers. President Van Buren destroyed a large portion of his Presidential correspondence while he was still in office. Similarly, President Garfield destroyed many of his Presidential materials in the 2 months between being shot by an assassin and his death in 1881. President Arthur apparently burned three large garbage cans filled with his papers.
Franklin Roosevelt negotiated an arrangement with Congress in which he gave his White House materials to the United States on the condition that they be maintained in a library to be built on Roosevelt's estate in Hyde Park, NY. A historian is said to have asked Roosevelt why his papers did not come within the class of official government documents. The President replied that he was following the precedent set by Washington: "When I came to the White House there was not a scrap of paper in that room; when I retire, I shall not leave a scrap. The room will be swept clean for my successor."
The Presidential Records Act of 1978 terminated the long-standing historical tradition of private ownership of Presidential papers and hence the reliance on Presidential giving for the government to acquire legal custody."

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!

[annalex]

Pepto-Bismol.

It's V8 Hot most mornings. Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo most evenings. I'll digest anything.

[hapy]

bump I am trying to post new here